Jackal Among Snakes

In coming into this cave, Hegazar had commented about the thickness of the magic in the area. Argrave had thought nothing of it at the time, but thinking back, that had been a mistaken assumption. Onychinusa, pure-blooded ancient elf and mortal champion of Erlebnis, must have been in this area, waiting and watching. She could disperse her flesh into pure magic and stay hidden in that manner. That meant either she or the god she championed anticipated this meeting. And that bode terribly for its outcome in Argrave’s favor, he predicted.

Argrave looked around what had once been stone, wondering if each of the statues around them had become an emissary of Erlebnis individually. Hundreds of eyes the size of his head peered down, each varied in slight ways and planted atop stalks of flesh. The head in the back of the cave remained still, eyes and mouth closed. The hands carrying the books the eyes had been reading moments slid away into an abyss that betrayed nothing of what hid beyond. On top of all that, the nude elven woman standing in front of them… to say the least, she did little to settle the nerves.

Onychinusa had already demonstrated mastery of shamanic magic—namely, a magic that allowed one mastery over spirits. But as the champion of Erlebnis, that could be considered one small portion of the pie of her abilities. She was well over eight hundred years old, and all of that time of hers had been spent in service to Erlebnis. With that pool of knowledge, the support of Erlebnis’ blessings, and the sheer quantity of time in her favor… it was a formula for success that made her one of the most powerful mortal spellcasters in the entirety of Berendar.

A good person for an assassination, Argrave supposed. But sticking to his thesis that had led him to this choice, he reminded himself that if Erlebnis wanted him dead he would have bitten the dust long ago. Even still, she had not responded to his greeting just yet, and Argrave wasn’t sure where this conversation was heading.

“What is this place?” Anneliese inquired, staring around at the eyes on the wall and the giant head in the back of the room.

Her relative state of normalcy calmed Argrave greatly—it meant she gathered the woman ahead was not an active threat. The newly tamed bear, still animalistic, seemed ill at ease with the change in scenery. Galamon, too, held his Ebonice axe in his hand. Tension persisted.

“I have been tasked with one thing alone,” Onychinusa brushed past her question. Her voice, her demeanor, her body language… they were all off, and not because she was an elf of ancient lineage. She wasn’t raised around those similar to her. Since shortly after her birth, she was under Erlebnis’ wing. That sort of environment led to a very warped person, ill-suited for normal conversation or society. “Argrave must allow himself to be taken.”

“Taken where?” Argrave asked.

“To the lord’s realm,” Onychinusa said simply, frustration already seeping into her tone.

Argrave swallowed, unease returning as soon as it had left. This woman’s life—all nine hundred years of it, thereabouts—had been one twisted psychological experiment. Her parents were dead, and this fact was explained to her from an early age before she could even understand concepts like life and death. Indeed, her adoptive parents answered any question with complete candor. Her caregivers were simply elven-shaped amalgams made by Erlebnis, and thus possessed no emotions. Her needs were attended to and her purpose as Erlebnis’ champion was explained, but beyond that, her life was one of cold logic and constant insistence on betterment. No affection was given, and any she gave was disregarded. That sort of neglect made her a very stunted individual, emotionally speaking.

Like a lack of inhibition, for starters, Argrave reflected, making a point only to look at her eyes even if the party in question wouldn’t care. She didn’t want to stare at him back, he found.

“This is for the best. Once the lord’s blessing wears off, we must go,” Onychinusa continued quickly. “My spirits cannot transport you with such massive power welling from within.”

The best for whom? Argrave wanted to press, though he didn’t care to step on the dragon’s tail. He didn’t intend to be taken anywhere. He’d hoped that Erlebnis would manifest here in some manner, not that he’d be taken to the god. He needed more information.

“Since you were waiting for me here, I can assume that Erlebnis has an offer for me, personally,” Argrave guessed. “If you can tell me what this deal is about, you can save him some time explaining things.”

Onychinusa’s eyes focused on Argrave for a moment, and then quickly darted to the side. “I was meant only to bring,” she resisted inflexibly.

the power of his Blessing of

meeting Argrave’s gaze. “You will employ your considerable knowledge of unknown

breadth of his knowledge—wittingly or unwittingly, the ancient god has ways of learning from different people about a large variety

should know I already endeavor to do that?”

prolong the cycle,” Onychinusa said angrily, long ears swaying as she

once. What Erlebnis proposed was not defeating Gerechtigkeit, but destroying it permanently, thereby ending the cycle permanently. That notion defied all of Argrave’s knowledge, and

you know?” she asked. “The lord

“Because…” Argrave stopped himself.

your questions,” Onychinusa insisted. “You must

interrupted, his

his gaze, he saw the gigantic head behind them had come to

the effectiveness of this idea,” the head said, its voice that of a

Onychinusa’s response, genuine annoyance coming through in

into magic once again. It seemed that the woman could

He wished for some insight as to the depths of your knowledge. Considering you

breath, not realizing he’d been holding it. “So… there is a trade in mind. And all

longer speak to His mortal champion. You speak to us. And in most nonessential questions asked to us… there

no way Onychinusa had been acting. Anneliese would have seen through it. Given her nature, Onychinusa’s

Argrave said, still staring at the head. “Do you think Onychinusa was even

at Argrave confusedly, questioning if she should

No point hiding our words,” Argrave turned his head to her. “Even if we made a ward, I imagine they could still make out our words. Reading our lips, the flow of the wind… whatever. They’ve got

still. “No, she wasn’t.

written permission, you intended to bring me before Erlebnis. Maybe you thought it’d be harder to refuse if I was in his realm… and I think you’d be right on that front. Failing that, you wanted her to draw information from me, expecting I’d try to do the same for her. But that still tells me one thing—the boundary between realms has weakened enough that spirits can break through them,

being you call Gerechtigkeit comes, yes. The lord sees and admires your

“I’m hoping that means you’re amenable to a

you for corrupting their champion and jeopardizing fragments of their being. Fellhorn, even in his perennial haze, has not been blind to how you harmed his endeavors in the Burnt Desert. And the words you speak… there are ears to listen everywhere, and the gods

an offer?” Argrave questioned. If the emissary was trying to unsettle him, it was working. Underhanded or deceptive they might be… but liars they were